Biology 403 Course Syllabus
Biology of Cancer
Instructor: Dr. Karen K. Resendes
Office Phone: 946-7211
Office: 222 Hoyt Science Center
e-mail: resendkk@westminster.edu
Course Description:
Over 1.5 million individuals are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States alone.
Biology 403 is designed to provide students with a conceptual understanding of the molecular
events underlying the development of human cancer. The course will provide a general
introduction to the nature of cancer, together with a historical perspective on its underlying
causes, including the role of tumor viruses, cellular oncogenes and tumor suppressors. The larger
picture implications of these factors will be addressed by studying the mechanisms of
tumorigenesis, metastasis, and angiogensis. In addition, the course will investigate the
development and clinical use of therapies based on the major discoveries in cancer biology
research. This course is textbook based but will involve the substantial use of the related primary
literature and will include a laboratory component exploring a range of techniques used in the
study of cancer biology.
Course Structure:
Lecture:
T, R 11:00AM – 12:30PM
HSC 369
Laboratory:
Hoyt 343
R, 2:00PM – 5:00PM
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 1-2:30
PM and by appointment. Simply email, call or
ask me for a time that will work for you. The
sole purpose of making an appointment is that I
want to be sure that I will be in my office at the
time you can meet with me.
Required:
1. Text: The Biology of Cancer,
Robert A. Weinberg, 2014
(Second Edition)
2.Composition-style, quad-lined
laboratory notebook (NOT
carbon copy)
3. Frequent visits to the Bio 403
coursepage on my.westminster
- Primary research articles
- Online laboratory and literature quizzes
Course Outcomes:
By the end of the course students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate comprehension of cell and molecular biology as it relates to the development and
progression of cancer.
2. Utilize new skills for self-motivation and self-learning.
3. Demonstrate improved understanding of primary scientific literature, including comprehension,
intelligent discussion, refined oral presentation, and scientific writing.
4. Apply basic molecular and biochemical techniques to their applications in the study of cancer
biology.
5. Demonstrate qualitative and quantitative reasoning skills required for scientific inquiry,
experimental design, and problem solving.
6. Place scientific factual content into an operational and theoretical framework.
Assignments:
Primary Literature: The material covered from the textbook in this course will be
supplemented by reading several research articles. You will be involved in the use of these
articles in class at several levels:
Online quizzes: 5-10 question long quizzes will be available on the course
my.westminster page the week leading up to the in class discussion of a paper. These
quizzes are required to be taken in advance and they will close at the start of class that
day and will not be re-opened. These quizzes are intended to assess if the paper has been
read prior to discussion and to test level of comprehension.
Discussion Questions: To prepare for class discussion of papers you are expected to bring
an index card to class for each paper with 2 questions you have regarding the content of
the paper to be discussed. Your questions should be interpretive rather than directed. For
example questions regarding the interpretation of a western blot, rather than "what is a
western blot?". The index cards will be collected and be given to the discussion leader for
use in class and then graded by the instructor after the discussion is completed.
Presenter and Discussion Leader: Twice during the semester each student will be
expected to present the contents of a primary research paper and lead the discussion of
that paper. The presentation should include both an overview of the introduction and a
walkthrough of the data. During your presentation you will lead a discussion of the
material. You should come prepared with a set of topics for discussion, which should be
primarily related to the outcomes and interpretation of the data as well as the author’s
conclusions. You will also have the discussion questions from your classmates at your
disposal to help guide the conversation. A pair of students will share the roles of
presenter and discussion leader for each paper, but each individual should take on a
portion of each responsibility.
Participation: You are expected to participate in the discussion of the primary research
articles we cover. Submitting your questions is not enough, you have to speak up and be
involved.
Laboratory: Your participation in laboratory exercises will be graded in several ways:
Online pre-lab quizzes: 5-10 question long quizzes will be available on the course
my.westminster page the week leading up to a laboratory section. You are required to
take these quizzes in advance and they will not be re-opened. These quizzes are intended
to assess if the lab has been read prior to class and to test level of comprehension.
Lab worksheets: The first laboratory of the semester does not need to be logged in your
notebook and rather will be completed as a worksheet.
Lab notebooks: Maintaining a lab notebook is an essential part of scientific
documentation and analysis. Specific guidelines for the contents of your lab notebook
will be provided during the first laboratory. Lab notebooks at specified times throughout
the semester as noted on the schedule and graded for each lab.
Ames Lab
Cell Cycle Lab
Immunoblotting Lab
EMSA Lab
Apoptosis Lab
10
10
10
10
10
Cell culture log: Each lab group will be required to maintain a line of tissue culture cells
throughout the semester. You will be provided with distinct guidelines for logging your
efforts that will follow established protocols in the scientific industry.
Laboratory summaries: At the conclusion of multi-week experiments you and your lab
partner will together turn in a single worksheet that includes summation of methods,
presentation of results and answering questions or a discussion section related to both the
methods and outcomes of the experiments.
Exams: There will be five 100-point exams throughout the semester. Exam questions will include
a range of question types such as multiple choice, short answer and matching to assess basic
concepts, essay questions covering both theories and complex pathways, and data interpretation
questions to asses both conceptual knowledge and critical thinking skills. The first four exams
will include material from the most recently covered chapters. The final exam will be cumulative
covering the material from the entire semester with an emphasis on data interpretation.
Research Poster: Over the course of the semester each student will work in stages to expertly
research a specific topic in cancer biology using a range of literature and database sources. The
final product will be a multi panel poster covering their topic from various points of view,
together with a supporting text document. The goal is to create a presentation that would work
well as a panel in a textbook or scientific magazine. These posters will be presented orally at the
end of the semester. A supplementary document will be provided detailing the stages and point
values associated with this project.
In class participation: In addition to participating during the discussion of primary literature you
are expected to participate in any in class activities and speak up and ask questions when you
have them during lecture!
Course Grading:
Exams (100 pts each)
500 points
Presentation/Discussion leader (2; 50 pts each) 100 points
Paper Quizzes (5; 5-10 pts each)
45 points
Discussion Question Notecards (9; 5 pts each)
45 points
Cell culture Log
25 points
Lab Notebooks
50 points
Lab Summaries (2; 25 pts each)
50 points
Lab Quizzes (7; 5 pts each)
35 points
Participation
25 points
Research Project (several smaller parts)
200 points
1075 points Total
NOTE: Points total is subject to change, for example, if number of paper discussions or
laboratories are adjusted.
A.......
A-......
B+.....
B.......
B-......
C+.....
93% or greater
90% - 92.99%
87% - 89.99%
83% - 86.99%
80% - 82.99%
77% - 79.99%
C.......
C-......
D+......
D.......
D-.....
F......
73% - 76.99%
70% - 72.99%
67% - 69.99%
63% - 66.99%
60% - 62.99%
below 60%
Attendance Policy
Attendance to labs and exams is mandatory. Please identify any conflicts between these and
college sponsored activities or events and report them to me one week in advance of the activity
so that a make-up exercise can be arranged. The only excused absences for exams or labs are the
ones stated in the Westminster catalog (college-sponsored activities; personal medical
emergencies, etc.).
While attendance to lectures is not mandatory, there is a strong correlation between attendance
and final grade. Your exams are worth nearly 50% of your final grade, and it is your
responsibility to make sure you understand the material. If you miss a lecture, you must find out
what you missed and make sure you understand the content. If you need help at any time, with
any of the material – please ask. My door is always open.
Academic integrity:
The issue of academic integrity is taken very seriously at Westminster. Students are expected to
abide by the College Policy on Academic Integrity. The policy can be found at:
http://www.westminster.edu/acad/pdf/undergraduate_catalog.pdf.
Academic integrity is particularly important when dealing with scientific writing. Written
assignments must be the student’s own work. Quotes, data or ideas taken from another source
must cite that source fully and correctly. I will be using turnitin.com to determine that your work
is in fact your own. Work that is not the students own, i.e. copied from an external source, a
classmate or class material is considered plagiarized, and will receive a score of zero. In
addition, a written report will be sent to your academic advisor, and to the Dean. Note: plagiarism
includes extensive, unnecessary quoting from another source, even if it is cited. More than one
incident of plagiarism may result in failure of the course. If in doubt – ask.
Electronic Devices
Please refrain from using any device in class that might disrupt the lecture or your colleagues.
This includes, but is not limited to: cell phones, pagers, PDA, iPODS (or other more modern
appliances you get the idea). Laptops and tablets are allowed but strictly for note taking only.
A tentative schedule for the spring 2015 semester can be found on the following page and on
the course my.westminster page: